Overnight Baked French Toast

Baked French Toast has got to be my weakness. I can’t even remember the first time I had it. Certainly not at the hand of my Rasta father. Devon is many things. Amongst them, the producer of some of the finest meals I’ve had during my 27 years on this earth. Alas, a connoisseur of “traditional” brunch items, he is not. My first experience had to have come from staying at a friends’ house or visiting family. Either way, I’ve outgrown the traditional, dip the bread in the batter and fry-style of French toast. Instead, I have swayed my palette to the dense, yet spongy treat of a casserole-style baked French toast. It’s simple to make and definitely a perfect breakfast/brunch menu item.

I alternate some of my ingredients depending on my mood. This time, I chose to add walnuts and a splash of dark rum. Topping with freshly whipped cream is also optional but highly suggested, and because I didn’t want to end up eating the whole pan in one sitting, I scrambled some egg whites and fried some turkey bacon to add something salty and savory to the plate. Also, my belly.

Here’s the deal, I tried to get all semi-fancy by slicing the bread in half diagonally and then arranging the slices in my circular baking dish for a flower petal-kinda vibe, this is completely optional but it’ll score you some effort points if you’re making this for a crowd. Otherwise, lay the whole slices in the bottom of the pan and kinda layer them, you’ll get the gist in a bit.

Combine the brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon in a bowl and mix until combined. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the bread slices. If you’re laying your bread flat in your pan, put the first layer down and then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top. Lay down more bread and then repeat until you’re done.

In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, cream, remaining cinnamon, rum and salt. Mix until everything is well combined and then pour the egg and milk mixture over your bread. You can totally add some more of that cinnamon sugar on top if you’re feeling as extra as me.

Cover with foil and place in the fridge overnight. The next day, preheat the oven to 350 and grease your baking dish. Place your dish in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. I like the top to be slightly crispy so I’ll leave it in there for a little over 35 minutes.

Serve with your favorite sides or eat it by itself, either way, this French Toast casserole is a hit!